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The people of the Kingdom of Dál Riata spoke a Q-Celtic Goidelic language. They lived in Argyll on the West Coast of what is now Scotland from around AD 400.The Gaels of Dál Riata are often called ‘the Scots’ as the Romans named the Q-Celtic speaking peoples of Ireland and Argyll ‘the Scotti’ which probably meant ‘pirates’. The Scotti attacked Roman shipping off the west coast.

Only twelve miles of sea separates the Mull of Kintyre from Antrim, Ireland. The Gaels of Dál Riata and Antrim traded across the sea routes, intermarried and sometimes fought.

The founding myth of Scotland tells of an Irish King, Fergus Mor, settling Scots from Ireland in Argyll. The English historian Bede wrote that the Irish Scots under Reuda took lands from the Picts. These origin tales influenced later historians but there is no evidence on the ground for an Irish invasion of Argyll.

The Gaels of Dál Riata and Ireland lived in different types of house; they wore different styles of brooch and dress pin; they carved different stone monuments. The archaeological evidence does not support the origin tales. It is now thought that the Gaels of Argyll, the Dál Riatans, were a native population who shared a common language with the peoples of Ireland a few miles over the sea. The Gaels of Dál Riata were probably the descendants of the Bronze Age cairn builders of Kilmartin Glen.

The Dál Riata strongholds at Dunadd, Dunaverty, Dunollie and Tarbert were important places of power and defence. A ‘dun’ was a hill fort. Kings were inaugurated at sacred places like Dunadd, an impressive fortress of the 7th and 8th centuries. A footprint carved into the rock at Dunadd is thought to have been used during the King-making ceremonies.

Finds at Dunadd, such as imported glass and pottery, show that European trade flourished along the western seaboard. The Christian monks of Iona needed a source of vellum (calf hides) to make their books. The Book of Kells alone is made of hundreds of calf skins.

Most Dál Riatan kings came from two leading groups; the Cenél Loairn and the Cenél nGabráin. The King Áedán mac Gabráin, who ruled Dál Riata c AD 574–608, would have been well known to Columba and the monks on Iona. In AD 719 the two opposing groups of Dál Riatans fought a sea battle. There may have been up to a hundred wooden boats and curraghs (skin boats) on each side, filled with warriors armed with bows and arrows. The Dál Riatans may have fought off Viking raiders from AD 794.

The Dál Riatans were the ancestors of some of Scotland’s kings. Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, better known as Macbeth, King of the Alba, was descended from the Cenél Loairn of Dál Riata.

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The Hag of Winter is known in Scotland and Ireland as The Cailleach, of which Cailich is variant, though there are many more stories and place names associated with her in the latter, as was pointed out by the great folklorist Katherine Briggs over fifty years ago.The idea that The Cailleach was imported into Scotland from Ireland is another instance of reality contradicting accepted notions. If the Cailleach did in fact originate in Ireland why do we in Scotland have so many more stories of her?

Her name in Gaelic means the hooded, or veiled one and after Christianity arrived became the accepted term for a nun. This has led to an interesting situation where confusion arises between a figure who was part of ancient Mother Goddess belief and Christian nuns. In ancient belief she was particularly known for spreading the harsh weather of winter and for living on mountain tops.

Within oral tradition people told the stories of their mythology and legend within their own environment and thus there are Cailleach stories and placenames in much of Highland Scotland, and in many of the Hebridean islands. On the east of Scotland where the Scots language developed parallel to Gaelic she is known as the Carlin, who is sometimes known as the Queen of the Witches.

While the idea of Cailleach meaning nun is a simple reflection of the hooded wimples nuns wore in terms of the original Cailleach the idea of hooding or veiling has another meaning. A mountain top wreathed in cloud can be considered veiled. Local weather lore throughout Scotland, and still extant in some parts, is full of references to cloudy summits having a ‘cap’ on – and this would appear to contain the same idea.

Mountains on which she was said to have lived include Ben Nevis, Ben Wyvis, Ben Breac, Ben Cruachan, the Paps of Jura, Schiehallion and Lochnagar has its Allt-na-Cailleach, a burn, and Caistel Caillich, her castle. And there is of course Beinn na Caillich in Knoydart and another in Skye. These are all high prominent hills, particularly Ben Nevis, the highest point on the British Isles.

Such hills attract weather – clouds cluster round them before spreading out over surrounding countryside which could be interpreted as the Goddess spreading the weather out. Her role in bringing on winter includes a tale of her riding out from Ben Nevis with eight sister hags to hammer the frost into the ground. This grouping of nine mythological or legendary females is extremely widespread both within and outside Scotland and I have looked at it in detail elsewhere (McHardy 2003). The Cailleach is also in many places credited with creating the landscape – hills, islands etc. This is one of the basic ideas of mythology – it explains the physical world in human terms and is therefore probably truly ancient indeed. Most of the Cailleach place names in the Highlands are up high and some, like on Lochnagar are part of a cluster of significant place names and specific physical markers – the massif has two clear breast shaped peaks, Meikle Pap and Little Pap, Such peaks appear to have been the focus for various kinds of spiritual or sacral belief and activity in the far past. We shall consider this later.

The Corryvreckan Whirlpool

Earlier we looked at the story of the Cailleach washing her plaid in the Corryvreckan whirlpool between Jura and Scarba. Whirlpools are one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring sights in nature. These magnificent spinning cauldrons are formed where tides crash or sea water is forced into narrow vortices.The Corryvreckan is one of only seven major whirlpools in the world. These magnificent examples of nature in the raw have long held a particular place in the human psyche, and have myths and legends associated with them that seem to come from the edge of time.

The Gulf of Corryvreckan is over 300 feet deep but when the whirlpool is at full power the depth of the water is less than a hundred feet. The particular cause of this awesome power is a subterranean spike, called An Cailleach, off the coast of Scarba which causes the great Atlantic waves to form into a giant vortex and create the Corryvreckan whirlpool.

It is a dangerous place and local fishermen and sailors have a wealth of stories of its dangers. Even on calm days the swell of the Corryvreckan can be several feet. The effect of the whirlpool is quite dramatic. For hour after hour when the Atlantic comes in great spirals of water are thrown into the advancing tide.

The spirals start with waves shooting up form a relatively flat surface with a great booming sound. When the whirlpool is at its wildest at the beginning of winter the sounds can be heard twenty miles away and more. The spirals thrown into the advancing Atlantic tide are just like those we find carved on megalithic sites in many parts of Europe and it is not difficult to imagine the awe that this wonder of nature aroused in the hearts and minds of our ancestors. The fact that the spike that creates the whirlpool is called An Cailleach is clearly linked it to the ancient mythological explanation of the first snow fall we considered earlier. And through the Cailleach and her plaid the story links to Ben Nevis. Here we have the most dramatic geophysical event in Europe and Britain’s highest mountain linked in ancient story through the person of the Cailleach. As we shall see the mountain range to the south of Ben Nevis, the Mamores, part of the area said to be covered by her plaid, also carry a link to the old beliefs in a Mother Goddess.

The Cailleach and Deer

Traditionally the red deer of the mountains were known as the cattle of the Cailleach. A story from as recently as 1773 occurs in Scrope’s Days of Deer-stalking, p198ff. In this two hunters set out south from Braemar in search of red deer. They headed over towards the forest of Atholl and were overtaken by a snowstorm coming from the north which soon cleared. They managed to find some deer and shot and wounded a hind. They were trailing her by the blood-drops in the snow when the snow returned, but this time much stronger. Luckily they had their plaids with them and managed to find a shelter in the lee of some rocks where they settled down to pass the night, eating the oatcakes and drinking the whisky they had brought with them. Come the morning things were little better and thoughts of deer were replaced by the need to concentrate on one thing, survival. The wind was still blowing from the north and with the visibility no more than a few yards they could do little other than keep the wind at their backs, as they struggled on. Unknown to them the wind began to veer to the east and keeping it at their backs meant they were heading west instead of south. There were no landmarks visible to help them at all.

By nightfall their provisions were running out and they were facing another night sheltering among rocks when they saw an old sheiling bothy ahead of them. These were the traditional summer dwellings for the lads and lasses who went to the high pastures with the cattle and they expected it to be deserted. It would provide them with much needed shelter.

Just as they came near, to their great surprise the door opened and there stood an old woman of wild and haggard appearance who beckoned them in, told them she had been expecting them and that their supper and beds were ready. They were astounded at this but went in to the bothy. There they sat as the old woman, crooning a song in a language they could not recognise poured out soup for them.

Cold and hungry as they were still they realised that something uncanny was happening and were reluctant to begin eating. She told them that she herself had the power over the weather as they sat there petrified. She held up a rope with three knots in it and these are the words she said as given by Scrope:

‘If I lowse the first [knot], there shall blaw a fair wind, such as the deer stalker may wish; if I lowse the second, a stronger blast shall sweep o’er the hills; and if I lowse the third, sic a storm will brak out, as neither man nor beast can thole; and the blast shall yowl down the corries and the glens, and the pines shall faw crashin into the torrents, and this bare arm shall guide the course o the storm, as I sit on my throne of Cairn-Gower, on the tap o Ben-y-Gloe. Weel did ye ken my pouer the day, when the wind was cauld and dedly, and all was dimmed in snaw – and ye see that ye was expect it here, and ye hae brought nae venison; but if ye mean to thrive, ye maun place a fat hart, or a yeld [barren] hind in the braes o’ Atholl, by Fraser’s cairn, at midnight, the first Monday in every month, while the season lasts. If ye neglect this my biddin, foul will befaw ye, and the fate of Walter o Rhuairm shall owertak ye; ye shall surely perish in the waste; the raven shall croak yer dirge; and yer bones shall be pickit by the eagle.‘

The hunters gave their word to do as she asked , ate and fell asleep, waking in the morning in a deserted bothy with no sign of the old woman. The storm had ceased and they made their way off the hill.

This is clearly the Cailleach herself. And the knotted string links her to the various wise women the length and breadth of Scotland who used to sell winds to sailors into the nineteenth century. Scrope tells the story as if he believes it happened but it is reminiscent of ancient beliefs regarding the Cailleach. The are many locations throughout Scotland where she is closley associated with the red deer and it was suggested in the 1930s that there was a deer-goddess cult and that there might have been deer-priestesses.

Again this is something I have looked at elsewhere (McHardy 2003) and it is worth noting that many Pictish symbol stones have deer carved on them. Some are deer heads which look like masks and there are some grounds for thinking that there may indeed have been deer-priestesses in Scotland, perhaps performing rites like the one that still continues at Abbot’s Bromley in Staffordshire in England. It is thought by many to be a survival of pagan practice. The dressing in deer skins, antlers etc has been interpreted as being linked to shape-shifting, something which occurs amongst various female groups in traditional lore

Modern thinking is that this is further linked to the practices of shamanism in which the practitioner ‘becomes’ another being to undertake a spirit journey. This type of belief is widespread and also very ancient. The Paps of Jura have already been mentioned and on the side of one of them is the Sgriob na Caillich, her furrow or score which she made down the side of Ben an Oir. Jura is famous for its population of red deer and the island’s name means Deer Isle and comes from the Norse.

Another aspect of the importance of the deer motif appears in some of the stories of the great Gaelic hero Finn MacCoul, many stories of which have been found in Western Scotland. His original name was Demne, which some have interpreted as meaning little deer, his first wife, Sadv, was changed into a deer by a malevolent Druid and it was pursuing her in this form that Finn found his son Oisin, whose name means fawn. Given the number and spread of the Finn MacCoul stories they were clearly important to all the Gaelic-speaking people and this deer symbolism at their very heart underlines the importance of the deer as a symbol in ancient belief in Scotland.

From Quest for the Nine Maidens

The Cailleach is strongly associated with mountains. Bear in mind that before the growth of major cities people were more aware of their natural environment. They would have observed mountains as the points around which changes in the weather originated. An early meaning of Cailleach means the veiled one. This meaning of veiled led to the term becoming the word for a nun in modern Gaelic. If you watch the clouds gather around Scottish mountains at almost any time of the year you will see this idea made remarkably explicit in the landscape. And not just Scottish mountains …

Just as the Cailleach is veiled so is the mountain she inhabits. The Cailleach is strongly associated with Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles and notable for its dramatic and ever-changing weather patterns.

The Corryvreckan, the remarkable whirlpool on the west coast of Scotland between the islands of Scarba and Jura, is said to be where the Cailleach washed her plaid (traditional garment of the Highlands, generally tartan) in late autumn and then spread it out over the mountains to dry.

As she was the oldest creature her plaid was pure white: so the story explains both the period of heaviest activity of the whirlpool and the first serious snow fall of the year. The Cailleach is also said to have created Scotland by dropping a creel full of peat and rocks. F. Marian McNeill tells us in The Silver Bough:

The Cailleach is the genius of winter and the enemy of growth. Her chief seat is Ben Nevis. She ushers in winter by washing her great plaid in the whirlpool of Corryvreckan [Coire Bhreacain = the Cauldron of the Plaid]. Before the washing, it is said, the roar of a coming tempest is heard by people on the coast for a distance of twenty miles, for a period of three days until the cauldron boils. When the washing is over, the plaid of old Scotland is virgin white.’ [2 p.20]Here the Cailleach’s cauldron is the whirlpool of the Corryvreckan. The cauldron is associated with other Nine Maidens groups in other areas. Surviving folklore also refers to this whirlpool as being the breath of the Goddess beneath the waves.Only since humans have achieved space flight has it become known that the oceans contain eddies, up to 20 kilometres across, which circulate warm surface water into the depths thus releasing life-sustaining nutrients.

This gives the motif of the whirlpool as the cauldron of the Mother Goddess a whole new level of meaning. Mythology explains the physical universe and its attributes in human terms. Such material can often contain sophisticated observations and insights. In order to give lore and tradition the strongest possibility of being remembered, and ensuring the moral lessons as well as its practical applications would be appreciated, tradition bearers would present their material within the environment familiar to their listeners. This accounts for the widespread instances of names in the Scottish landscape like Allt na Cailleach (Stream of the Old Woman), a name that can be interpreted as originally meaning the stream of the Goddess. The Cailleach’s relation to the physical world, to seasonal change and to weather, shows we are dealing with a fundamental mythological statement.

The figure of the Cailleach in Gaelic tradition is paralleled in Scots tradition by the Gyre Carlin, also often portrayed as a winter hag and linked to the traditions of the witches which survive in many areas. Donald Mackenzie in Egyptian Myth and Legend writes:

One of the many versions of the Scottish Hag story makes her the chief of eight big old women or witches. This group of nine suggests Ptah and his eight earth gnomes, the nine mothers of Heimdal the Norse god and the Ennead of Heliopolis. [xxxviii]

In this association of the Cailleach with a group of nine she is one of the nine whereas most of our Bride references are to Bride and nine others. Mackenzie goes further and compares this group to the nine mothers of Heimdall in Norse myth and the Ennead of Heliopolis in Egypt. He makes the point, ‘ A people seldom remember their early history, but they rarely forget their tribal beliefs … ‘.).

This is a particularly relevant statement for Scotland where Celtic-speaking warrior tribes were in existence till 250 years ago and had in many ways retained many of the characteristics of Iron Age society.

More support for the Scottish provenance of Bride in Scotland comes from John Leslie who writes in his 16th Century Historie of Scotland:

The Scottis, Peychtes, Britanis, Inglismen & Irishmen with sik veneratione in ilk place have honoured S Brigida, that innumerable kirkes erected to God, amang them ale, to her, ye sal se; yie and mae to her than to ony of the rest: the Irland men contendes that her haly body thay have with thame in that toune quhilke thay cal Dun, in quhilke place the body of thair Apostle S. Patrik is keipet. our cuntrey men ascrynes the same Glore unto thame, quha thinkes, that hitherto thay have honouret it in the Chanrie of Abernethie, & richtlie have done thay think. [1p.229]

The Scots, Picts, Britons, Englishmen and Irishmen with such veneration in every place have honoured St Brigid, that innumerable churches erected to God, among them all, to her, you shall see; yes and more to her than to any of the rest The Irish people contend that her holy body they have with them in that town which they call Dun, in which place the body of their Apostle St Patrick is kept. Our countrymen ascribe the same Glory unto themselves, who think, that hitherto they have honoured it in the Chanadry of Abernethy and have done so rightly to their own thinking.[translation]

In referring to the different tribal confederations/kingdoms of Dark Age Northern Britain, he is differentiating between Britons and Englishmen. By Britons he appears to mean the P-Celtic people of the kingdom of Strathclyde, and possibly the people of Manau Gododdin, known to the Romans as the VotCeini and inhabiting the lands from East Lothian to possibly as far as the headwaters of the Forth. He is making it clear that St Brigid was known to both the P and Q-Celtic tribes and to the Germanic speaking peoples in what we now call Scotland. This supports of the idea of Bride being indigenous to Scotland and clearly points to a cult of St Bridget among Christians in Scotland in the pre-Reformation period. The belief that Brigid is buried at Abernethy in no way precludes the her Irish provenance, but, taken together with the other evidence, this appears to be part of a continuum of belief which was indigenous to Scotland.

For more information about this writer, storyteller, folklorist, historian lecturer, musician and poet, please see Stuart’s Website atwww.stuartmchardy.wordpress.com

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An American historian has discovered the burial place of Britain’s legendary King Arthur near the Scottish Border, a leading authority on royal lineage said, reported the Toledo Blade back in June 1990. Burke’s Peerage said Prof. Norma Goodrich, an expert on Arthurian legend, believes he was buried in the parish of Arthuret in northern England, not in Wales as Previously thought. It quoted Professor Goodrich as saying that the area once belonged to Scotland and is near Camboglana, where Arthur is said to have fought his last battle.

The veil of mystery on Arthurian legend is at last slowly being lifted. The discovery of the burial place of Britain’s most famous monarch will definitely create a new editing task for all the history books of this island.

said Harold Brooks-Baker, publisher of Burke’s Peerage.

Scholars have worked for centuries to uncover the truth about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table who appear in a series of romances set in the sixth century. Mr. Brooks-Baker believes that the legend is not pure myth and that a monarch bearing a close resemblance to King Arthur existed.

Professor Goodrich, a fellow at Columbia University, traced King Arthur’s court of Camelot to the ruins of a Scottish castle two years ago (1988). Burke’s Peerage said that Professor Goodrich’s research, based on information correlated by the late Professor Nora Chadwick, showed that the name Arthuret, means “Arthur’s Head”.

The Journey to Avalon

In the Journey to Avalon: Final Discovery of King Arthur, the authors Chris Barber and David Pykitt seek to discover the true identity of Arthur, the sixth-century king of the Britons, as well as the locations of his courts and long-forgotten battle sites. In this controversial book, the authors reveal the secret of the mysterious Isle of Avalon and believe that Arthur’s resting place lies in a Breton church. As part of their journey of discovery, they examine Professor Goodrich’s theory of Arthur’s proposed Scottish burial at Arthuret. They say that in her book, King Arthur(1986), Dr. Goodrich claimed that Arthur was not only a Scottish King, but also the founder of Clan Campbell, and that he was born near Carlisle.

She also believed that the Isle of Man was Avalon and that Arthur was buried on St. Patrick’s Isle. By 1990, she had changed her mind and believed that Arthur lies buried under the Church of St. Michael & All Saints at Arthuret, near Gretna Green. The authors also disagree that the town’s name of Arthuret also means “Arthur’s Head” claiming instead that it is derived from Arderydd (a name long familiar to students of Welsh Lore!). It is the site of a famous battle fought after the passing of Arthur.

The Patriotic Scotsman

It is relevant that Dr. Goodrich uses the works of W. F. Skene to great effect inorder to establish her King Arthur in Scotland. William Forbes Skene (1809-1892) was a patriotic Scotsman and it is therefore not surprising that he passionately wanted his hero, Arthur, to be a Scotsman. However, doubt has since been cast on Skene’s material, and he cannot now be considered a reliable source. The authors finish off by adding that Dr. Goodrich also utilizes the literary rather than the historical sources in order to arrive at her unstatisfactory conclusions. (Journey to Avalon).

In 1669, the rector wrote in the parish register: ‘Arthuret has its name from the famous King Arthur, King of the Ancient Britons, in whose time there was a battle fought here, probably on the moor of the same name.’ The battle took place in the 6th century and according to legend 80,000 were slain. A further battle involving Arthur’s mentor, Merlin, took place just north of Longtown, at Carwhinley. As a result of this battle Merlin is thought to have lost his mind, and wandered the forests for 40 years. Arthurian expert Dr Norma Goodrich has named Arthuret as the last resting place of the legendary monarch. [source]

The late Norma Goodrich, who sadly passed in 2006, believed she had traced the court of “Camelot” to the ruins of a Scottish castle near Ayr. According to information collated by the late Professor N. Chadwick of the University of Wales the name Arthuret means “Arthur’s Head”. This was deduced after studying 6th century Irish & French epics in which the hero’s head was generally buried with the face to the foe. A high point of land near the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in the parish of Arthuret is consecrated ground (Guardian Weekly 26th June 1990). In March 1319 Gilbert de Ebor[aco] is known to have been presented to the church at ‘Arturet’ which lay in the diocese of Carlisle. [C.P.R., March 1319, p. 318.] Christopher Saxton’s map of Westmoreland (1576) gives the name as ARTRUTHE which if phonetically spelled would sound more like “Arthur” (Christopher Saxton’s 16th Century Maps, William Ravenhill, Chatsworth Library, 1992). [source]

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An important form of expression in any culture is its music, each culture having its own independent style. This cultural expression is enhanced through the instruments it is played on. In our Celtic culture, the main instruments were and are the BODHRAN (drum), the FEADAN (whistle) the CLARSACH (harp) and the PIOB (bagpipes). All of these instruments still have the power to stir ancestral memory in people of today.

BODHRAN

The first of these, the Irish drum, the bodhran, is the oldest form of musical instrument, its equivalent being found all over the world. The Bodhran was traditionally made in the following way: A circular hoop was made out of the wood of the ash tree and an animal skin, usually of deer, calf or goat, which had been soaked in a stream for nine days, was stretched over the hoop and secured firmly around the edge of it.

In some cases a crosspiece was inserted at the back to hold it with. The Bodhran is played either with the hand or a beater. Most Irish players are also greatly skilled at playing what is called “the bones”, these are played held in the hand, in a very similar manner to the castanets, and as the name suggests were at one time made from bone, usually from the rib cage of a pig. Nowadays, like the beater, they are made from wood.
Some of the Bodhrans that are played are of an extremely large size. These are war drums, and could explain how the sound of the drum played at a fast speed arouses such strong feelings within us. The Bodhran can also create many other feelings within us, such as the strange trance like and Otherworldly effect that can be created by skilled players, bringing almost into reach long forgotten memories of the past. In many parts of the world one of the first tasks of the shaman was to make his own drum from the raw materials that were in the area where he lived, so that the drum would be linked to the ancestry of the land just as his people were.

THE FEADAN

The second instrument is the whistle, Feadan, which was originally made from the wood of the alder, the centre of it being extremely soft and easy to hollow out. The tin whistle of today is a longer lasting version of the wooden feadan. The feadan gives that distinctive sound to Irish and Scottish music, making it recognisable anywhere. The jigs and reels soon have everyone tapping their feet and going with the music. The feadan, too, has that other side to it. It can sound so hauntingly beautiful, crying out for the listener to follow…The selkies or seals are extremely fond of the sound of the feadan and its haunting melodies, so much so that they will surface and come out of the water onto the rocks to listen to it being played.

THE CLARSACH

The Celtic harp needs no introduction, such is its popularity. There is no mistaking how people’s faces light up with pleasure at seeing this beautiful instrument, even today it still holds a magical quality for us. The soundboxes of the ancient clarsachs were hollowed out of solid pieces of wood, mainly oak or willow, and were strung with whatever animal gut that was available. Twisted horsehair was also used. Nowadays the clarsach can be strung with metal, nylon or the original gut strings, each giving a different sound to the instrument. Harpers were one of the members of the establishment of the Highland Chiefs.

Many of the ancient harpers and bards decorated their clarsachs with precious jewels, silver and gold, one of the reasons for this was his clarsach could not be taken from him in payment for debts he owed, as it was considered the tool of his trade. The old law still stands today.

The clarsach was seen by many as a gift from the Gods, giving it an inseparable link with the Otherworld. This was strengthened by the bards themselves who, through their legends, could carry people on fantastic Otherworld journeys to the lands of Promise. No one can deny the effect the clarsach has on our emotions, there is no instrument that can compare in sound to its melodious song that can lift and carry us to lands of beauty, sadness and sorrow like a bird hopping from branch to branch.

PIOB

There is much speculation on the origins of the bagpipe in Scotland. However, this is largely futile as it would appear to be an ancient instrument everywhere, and there is no way of knowing if it is indeedindigenous or not. Certainly we know from sculptural evidence that the pipes were in use in Scotland from the 12th century onwards. Some people believe that the Firbolgs, the Men of the Bags, were the first to use bagpipes made from pigs’ bladders in ancient Ireland and Scotland.

The first pipes probably only had one drone, the second being added around 1500. The two drone Highland Pipes were the traditional war pipes of the clans. The traditional music of the bagpipes is known as “Piobaireachd”, or Ceol Mor (big music), the classical pipe music. CeolBeag (little music) was the music of the people, the popular or folk music. The scale of the pipes is completely unique to itself, making the instrument difficult to accept by other musicians, who will declare the pipes to be out of tune! However, the pipes were never intended to be played in harmony; it is a solo instrument. Due to the different intervals of tones and semitones, the pipes can take a while to get accustomed to. It does seem that most people either passionately love the pipes or passionately hate them! Either way, there is no denying the strong emotive feelings they seem to evoke in us.

It only remains to say to anyone that decides to listen to these ancient musical instruments and their traditional music that they would be opening themselves to the spirit of our people, which remains strong and pure in the music and can link us once again to our origins and our land.

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News at the Scotsman.com reports that a Bronze Age structure thought to have been used as a sauna has been saved from destruction by the sea after a team of archaeologists moved the entire find to a safer location. The building, which dates from between 1500BC and 1200BC, was unearthed on the Shetland island of Bressay eight years ago. It was found in the heart of the Burnt Mound at Cruester, a Bronze Age site on the coast of Bressay facing Lerwick.

But earlier this summer (2008), because of the increased threat of coastal erosion, local historians joined archaeologists to launch a campaign to save the building and to move it somewhere safer. A third of the mound had already been lost to sea erosion.

The central structure was carefully dismantled and each stone numbered before being moved to a site a mile way next to Bressay Heritage Centre.

And today (23/8/2008), following the completion of the unusual removal scheme, the Bronze Age building will be officially opened at its new location by Tavish Scott, the MSP for Shetland. Douglas Coutts, the project officer with Bressay History Group, said the structure was one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made in the Northern Isles.

The building was hidden in a mound of burnt stones and is thought to have been used for feasts, baths or even saunas.

The structure comprises a series of dry-stone, walled cells, connected by two corridors. At the end of one corridor is a hearth cell, thought to have been used for heating stones, and at the other end is a tank sunk into the ground which is almost two metres long, more than a metre wide, and half a metre deep.

Burnt mounds don’t usually consist of very much more than a hearth and a tank and a heap of burnt stones. But in Shetland, we seem to have much more complex structures with little rooms or cells leading off from a main passageway which connects the hearth and tank.

He added:

We think these cells may have originally been roofed over in a beehive shape. One theory is that these structures may have been used for cooking meat or tanning hides. But it is possible they could have raised steam by heating the water and that these little cells could have been used as saunas.

Tom Dawson, a researcher at St Andrews University who also worked on the removal project, said coastal erosion was threatening thousands of archaeological sites around Scotland.

The local group here came up with a novel idea for dealing with the problem. It is great to have had the chance to give new life to this particular site and make it accessible to future generations, while also learning something new, not just about Cruester, but about burnt mounds in general.

This structure is important in world terms. There are thousands of burnt mounds in Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia but only a handful are known to have structures within them.

Mr Scott praised the partnership between the local history group and outside archaeological bodies.

He said:

This exhibition will be a great asset for visitors to Bressay and local people. The more we understand about the past, the better informed we are about the future.

You’ve heard of Captain America, the enhanced Super-Soldier who became the symbol of American patriotism and you may even have heard of Captain Britain, whose power derived in part from Merlyn and the mystical sword, Excalibur and who embodies the spirit of British patriotism but it’s now time to doff your cowls and pull on your capes, as the Superhero Spirit of the Ancient Clans becomes embodied in the Big, Blue form of Saltire! He embodies both the concepts of ancient mysticism along with all of the drama, power and heroism that you expect from any of today’s cinematic Superheroes. Saltire is an archetypal Golden Age comic book hero – the sort we see on our Movie screens today, and not the complex and often dark, anti-hero type that seem to dominate today’s comic book world. He is a Hero for a nation – a symbol to stand by, perhaps ideal for a time when Scotland is seeking its own individuality and independence again.

With John Ferguson as the writer, art by Tony Julskaer and Gary Welsh, the new graphic novel Saltire by DiamondSteel Comics hits the streets with twice the impact of those massive blue fists striking the legions of the Roman army as they threaten to cross onto Scottish lands. The first book is in two parts Saltire: Invasion – that tells of the coming of the Romans and Saltire’s role in driving them back and Saltire: Inception that gives us his origin story. In between the two we are treated to some beautiful concept art as well as some stand-alone colour pieces that are a pure luxury to see. His enemies are not just the ill-fated and mysterious 9th Legion of Rome, but the summoned Avatar or a Roman God! We even see the big, blue hand stretching as far as the Imperial throne of Rome to shake it up a bit.

A Magical Blend of Celtic Mythology and Pseudo-History

an immortal being created thousands of years ago to protect Scotland and its people. He’s big, he’s blue and he’s ginger. He has Scottish values but he’s a traditional comic book superhero with a variety of super villains to contend with as the story progresses, a Scottish competitor to Batman and Spiderman if you like.

He was born of the union between the Clans of the North, the Clans of the South and a Fey representative of the powers of Light and Darkness – Princes of the Otherworld! John has woven a unique blend of traditional mythology, modern cultural nationalism and the Heroic Ideal represented by classic Golden Age superheroes into Saltire, the personification of Scotland’s Stone of Destiny.

Whether or not you could count some of the more traditional heroes of Scottish Mythology, such as Finn McCool, as Scotland’s first Superheroes is really a moot point as they were the heroes from a different time and less likely to ‘leap tall buildings in a single bound’ or meet whatever scale you match a modern Superhero up to. Saltire’s passes all of the tests of our time and stands tall and proud (and blue) as the embodiment of the Spirit of Scotland’s Clans, its’ Otherworldly Spirit and History as well as the hopes for its future. Every bit the equal of a Captain America or Captain Britain!

Wielding twin Claymores made from indestructible, meteoric Diamond Steel, and dressed in trews and leg-wraps, our big, blue and hairy Defender is an imposing living, visual image of the Saltire symbol on Scotland’s flag – known as Saint Andrew’s Cross. A powerful cast comprised of the powerful and unique defenders of the 12 Clans – Scotland’s own version of the ancient 12 Tribes perhaps? – and united by the High Shaman promise great character development for the future.

Saltire himself is accompanied by the earth-bound representatives of the Light and Dark Fey – the Dark Unicorn, Caledon and the Dragon of Light, Nathir who dwells within the waters of Loch Ness.

What may come in the future for Scotland’s National Superhero?

Like the ‘Once and Future King’, Arthur, who will awaken from his mystical sleep to defend the shores of Britain from her invaders, so will Saltire burst anew into life to defend the Clans and the Peace of the Land north of the Wall!

So, anytime, from his Inception to our modern-day World we could see Big Blue leap into action. The story has started with the attempted invasion by the Romans and we are anxiously awaiting Book 3 of the Saga, Saltire: Annihilation, to see where the story goes. We were given a real treat with the beautiful artwork and presentation of the first two books bound as a single volume (also in hardback), and can only hope that such high standards continue. The characters are, obviously, only just starting out so I’m eager to see how the relationships pan out, especially with the mysterious and beautiful Fey lady, Eilys, who possesses the gift of foresight but cannot set foot upon the Earth. The Big Screen has seen the Big Green figure of the Hulkcause massive property damage; it has seen Big Red, Hellboy, fight against the unseen legions of the demonic and supernatural and maybe, just maybe, in the future we’ll see Big Blue being summoned from the Stone of Destiny to swing his Diamond Steel blades on the Silver Screen? Well, we can dream…

You can find out all about Saltire, John Ferguson and his team as well as where to get hold of the Graphic Novel on their website at http://www.diamondsteelcomics.com or track them down on Facebook (for some amazing reviews and artwork) or follow them on Twitter!

Remember keep it Big, Blue, and Ginger!

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

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We met the Big, Blue,Red-Headed Immortal Guardian of Scotland, Saltire – the first real Scottish Superhero in the style of the classic Marvel and DC greats, in his first outing Saltire: Invasion. His second adventure starts in the follow-on Graphic Novel – Saltire: Annihilation Pt.1!With John Ferguson still penning the adventure and a new artist, Claire Roe, at the helm this Graphic Novel plunges us into the Dark Ages and a time of conflict between the Saxons and Clans of the North. Into this maelstrom of political turmoil, an ancient evil awakens and begins to prey upon the Clans. Once more the Clans and their Guardians call upon Saltire, our Immortal Hero, to awaken and come to their rescue. The action is fast and furious as a bloody swathe is cut across the Highlands and Valleys of Saltire’s land!

A Proud Heritage Reborn!

The bookwas launched on September 6th at theMCM Expo and will be inWaterstones/Forbidden Planet and comic book shops across the UK and on Amazon USA and UK. Author John Ferguson says:

After the success and critical acclaim of the first book in the series, Saltire Invasion, it was important to expand our horizons, enrich the characters, and delve deeper into the country’s past. A proud heritage is now reborn as the ancient tales of Scotland are envisioned within the modern comic book genre for the first time.

Once again this project brings together the country’s best emerging artistic talent to create the dynamic and visually breathtaking first volume of an epic two part sequel.

With award nominations and main stream media attention, Saltire is fast becoming a new iconic figure in comics and in Scotland. In an era when a nation awakens, our immortal guardian returns.

What evil grows in Scotland’s Darkest Hour?

The Dark Age, a desolate time.
A power grows to the south. A power bent on destruction…on annihilation.
Not human…not spirit or shadow. Unleashed, she will bring despair.
To protect the innocent, the guardians will stand once more…
As chaos reigns before a vengeful enemy he shall rise once more…the Immortal Guardian of a Nation.

Spreading a terrible curse and affliction amongst the clans, the evil Ban Sith makes her way north from the Saxon strongholds deep into Clan territory, leaving a trail of blood and pain behind her. Each of the Clans has a Guardian – a Champion if you will – and they try to gather their people together and lead them to safety under the guidance of the Shamans and the Fae to a Secret and Safe Place.

The Mythic Superhero walks amongst us

Each panel is drawn with a vibrant and dramatic flair that matches the fast pace of the driving story, leading us inevitably to the summoning of our Hero once more from his rest to defend the Clans! With more action than most comics can wave a pointy stick at, you can expect drama, tragedy and some poignant scenes in this second excursion into the unique Scottish mythology that Ferguson is creating with Saltire. Our iconic hero, and all of his friends, have the potentiality to bring us a great depth of characterisation and a rich stock of lore in the future. There is so much material here already, in just these two issues, that the amount of stories that can be told, the questions that can be asked, can provide us with tales for many more episodes. We can expect that the sagas of Scottish Superhero lore laid down by John Ferguson and Diamondsteel Comics will set a high standard in a new hybrid genre. The Realm of the Mythic Superhero is with us – Celtic Mythology steps into the modern world of Superheroes.

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.

You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon or by clicking the image to the right.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The BBC reports that the legendary wizard Merlin has been added to a list of famous Glaswegians, it has emerged. The council included the wizard, who featured in Arthurian legend, on a list of well-known figures from the city. A council spokeswoman admitted that like most mythical figures, it was difficult to trace Merlin’s origins. But she said the wizard had been added to its website list after an amateur historian suggested Merlin had lived in the Partick area of the city.

He joins Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and comedian Billy Connolly on the list of famous characters, both real and fictional.

‘Glorious history’

Merlin has his very own category on the list – filed under wizard.

The council spokeswoman said:

Recently an amateur historian has pointed to the fact that the legendary Merlin lived a ‘comfortable life’, with his wife Gwendolyn, in Partick, not Camelot and I’m sure most Glaswegians think that’s just magic.

Tradition has it that King Arthur’s magician was either English or Welsh.

But in the book Finding Merlin: The Truth Behind the Legend, author Adam Ardrey claimed he actually hailed from Scotland. [Amazon]

Mr Ardrey, who spent six years researching the subject, told a newspaper he believed the wizard had lived in Partick “where the River Kelvin meets the Clyde”.

He told the paper:

I am thrilled that Glasgow has recognised Merlin as a Glaswegian and that almost 1,400 years after his death he can take an official place in Glasgow’s glorious history.

There has been an important development in terms of Celtic language television broadcasting with the launch of the new Gaelic TV station BBC Alba.

The new channel is initially available on Sky satellite TV channel 168 and also on Freesat. The station will also become available on the digital terrestrial service Freeview. However the Freeview launch will not take place until 2010 at the earliest which is disappointing. Continue Reading »

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